Taqwa (Cyphosperma tanga) is a moderately stout, small understorey palm that grows up to 5 m in height, with a trunk to 15 cm in diameter.
Also known as: Taqwa
Local Names: Taqwa
Description
Taqwa is a moderately stout, small understorey palm that grows up to 5 m in height, with a trunk to 15 cm in diameter. The trunk is chocolate brown in colour. A single palm tree has about 12 characteristic large, undivided or occasionally split, fronds that are held rather erect, up to 3 m in length.
Like other members of the genus Cyphosperma in Fiji, this palm has no crown shaft. The palm has old leaves often persisting around the trunk giving it a rather tattered appearance. The green inflorescence is long and sparse, growing up to 1.5 m in length and branched to two orders. It emerges from between the leaves, and is initially erect before becoming pendulous.
The fruit are oblong ellipsoidal, they turn yellowish brown when mature; and grow up to1.4 cm in length.Distribution
Taqwa has a highly restricted distribution — a single population around the Dromodromo Creek on the slopes of Mt. Tomanivi, Vitilevu, Fiji’s highest mountain.
Habitat Ecology and Behaviour
Taqwa grows as an understorey palm on rocky volcanic soils. The palm trees are sparsely distributed on steep slopes in montane rainforest at an altitude of 600-900m on the north western slopes of Mt. Tomanivi.
This area receives very high rainfall of over 5,000 mm annually with little seasonality. Other than information on its description, distribution and abundance, there is no ecological data available on this species.Threats
This is clearly one of, if not the most threatened of Fiji’s palms. It is very regrettable that one of the two known populations of this palm was destroyed by logging and the establishment of a mahogany plantation, despite some very vociferous complaints by the late Dick Phillips.
A survey in 1995 by Dylan Fuller showed that the only extant population numbers about 300-400 adult trees, and fortunately that regeneration in this population is reasonable. This palm is categorised as Critically Endangered (IUCN Global Status).
Conservation Status
The remaining population of the species unfortunately occurs outside the Tomanivi Nature Reserve and the Wabu Forest Reserve. The protection and conservation of this population thus depends on the decisions made by the landowners of the area, and whether or not they wish to conserve this palm which they are well aware of and which is of cultural significance for them (note the story below).
Remarks and Cultural Significance
The remaining population of the species unfortunately occurs outside the Tomanivi Nature Reserve and the Wabu Forest Reserve. The protection and conservation of this population thus depends on the decisions made by the landowners of the area, and whether or not they wish to conserve this palm which they are well aware of and which is of cultural significance for them (note the story below).
References
Dowe (1989);
Fuller (1997);
Watling (2005)
Front Page Photo: Kirsty Swinnerton